Birmingham City Council is consulting on more local links and cycle parking being paid for out of the Birmingham Cycle Revolution funds. On the whole, Push Bikes is keen to see any improvements to cycle facilities in Birmingham, but we do have concerns about some of these proposals.

Cycle Parking in Moseley: Deadline, Friday 5th February.

This cycle parking consultation is looking at 6 locations in Moseley village for new cycle parking. One of the sites will have a 'cycle hoop' attached to an existing sign post, while the rest of the stands will be 'm' stands. 'M' stands are similar to standard sheffield stand style cycle parking, but are (obviously) 'm' shaped rather than 'n' shaped. Push Bikes supports all of the proposed cycle parking stands.

Local Links Package 3: Deadline, Friday 5th February.

These local links works are designed to be minor infrastructure interventions to help cycle users connect between different routes. This can range from installing dropped kerbs to creating contra-flow cycling on one-way streets. All of the local links are part of the same consultation, which you can access here.

Cliveland Street: 

This links the city centre, behind the Children's hospital, to the canal. Push Bikes is pleased to see that contra-flow cycling will be introduced on the one-way streets here, to increase the ease with which cycle users can navigate this area. Push Bikes supports this local link proposal.

Heartlands Parkway:

This links the canal towpath to the A47 main corridor cycle route at the roundabout of Heartlands Parkway (A47) and Saltley Viaduct. The proposed changes are minor, consisting of changing the pavement to shared use to help cycle users reach a toucan crossing, and removing a chicane on the canal access ramp. It is a positive move, however, to see the chicane taken out. Push Bikes supports this local link proposal.

Mill Street:

This is an existing link to the canal towpath at Aston canal junction, next to Dartmouth Circus. The proposals are simply to install signs, to help cycle users going along the Aston Road cycle route to know where to turn off for the canal towpath. This is necessary as the canal access point here is quite obscure. Push Bikes supports this local link proposal.

Fazeley Street:

This proposal is to create a short section of shared use pavement from the cycle access on Fazeley Street to an existing dropped kerb on the other side of the canal bridge. This proposal confuses us, because the plans call that dropped kerb a 'crossing', but it is not a crossing, and there is a driveway right next to the canal access point that would be used more by cycle users. The main problems Push Bikes sees with this access point are that cars regularly park across both the dropped kerb and driveway here, so they are regularly blocked, and the surface of the access ramp itself is in poor condition and needs improving. Push Bikes does not support this local link proposal because we do not think that it does anything useful.

Fleet Street:

This proposal is to install a dropped kerb at the canal bridge, to help cycle users move from the road to the canal bridge easily. This is a good measure, although care must be taken to locate the dropped kerb properly, as the canal bridge has some steps across half the access width. Push Bikes supports the installation of this dropped kerb.

The main problem is that Fleet Street is a one-way street and when the road works at Paradise are finished, an important desire line for cycle users going to Victoria Square will be to travel contra-flow up Fleet Street to Summer Row, and then cycle up to the toucan crossing to access Victoria Square. The alternative route to Newell Street and then along Lionel Street is longer, with more motor traffic and more up-hill. The Paradise roadworks will install a shared-use pavement from the top of Fleet Street up Summer Row to the crossing to Victoria Square. The Birmingham Cycle Revolution needs to help cycle users travel in both directions on Fleet Street, rather than giving cycle users length diversions.

Cuckoo Road:

This proposal is to facilitate cycle access to the canal where Cuckoo Road crosses the canal and meets Lichfield Road. On one side of the bridge there is a ramped access to the canal which is good quality and easy for cycle users, while on the other side of the bridge there are stairs to access the canal towpath. The proposals are to create shared-use pavements to help cycle users get to those two access points, and then install 'wheeling ramps' on the stairs.

Push Bikes does not support the installation of the wheeling ramps on these stairs. Wheeling ramps are only useable by people with standard two-wheeled cycles who can get off and push their cycles up or down the ramps. They are not a cheap option, and we do not understand why this is being suggested at a location that is so close to a good access ramp to the same road. Instead of installing wheeling ramps on the stairs, measures should be taken to signpost the better quality access point from both sides of the bridge, and make modifications to enable cycle users to get to that access point more easily.

Richard Street:

This proposal is to put a dropped kerb on the pavement where an access ramp connects Richard Street (near Dartmouth Circus) to the canal. In addition, the surrounding vegetation will be cut back to improve sight lines at this dropped kerb.

Push Bikes is opposed to this proposal which we fear will be dangerous. The dropped kerb will be on the inside of a wide, fast bend in Richard Street and we are very concerned that there will be insufficient visibility at this point to judge when it is safe to join the road. Although the vegetation will be cut back, we are very concerned that council budget cuts will mean that the revenue funds to keep the vegetation cut back will not be there, and that in a few years time this vegetation will be obscuring the view again.

Push Bikes asks that this proposal is taken back to the drawing board, and that the possibility of installing a formal crossing point is examined. Measures must be taken to make sure that cycle users joining the road here can do so safely.

Cole Valley Alternative Route:

This proposal is to create a sign-posted diversion on the Cole Valley route where the River Cole goes under the train line. Push Bikes has been told that strengthening work is needed around this rail bridge, and that this work needs to be done on Network Rail land. This alternative route is being suggested because negotiations over that strengthening work are going very slowly. The alternative route will be a signposted on-road route, with a short stretch of shared-use pavement where Cotterills Lane goes under the railway.

Push Bikes has talked through the options on this route, and we have reached the decision that we are opposed to the spending of money on this alternative route.

• Firstly, the alternative route is a significant detour from the short stretch of route under the rail bridge. We are very concerned that if this alternative route is installed and sign-posted, there will be less incentive to push ahead with discussions with Network Rail. This route ought to remain incomplete until the issues can be dealt with and the route completed properly.
• Secondly, the alternative route is being taken along two very busy roads - Eastfield Road and Cotterills Lane. The Cole Valley route is intended as a green route that ought to be welcoming to cycle users of all ages and abilities. These two roads will not be welcoming to the target users of this route, even with the short stretch of shared use pavement. Much more significant work needs to be undertaken to make this route a suitable alternative route.

Push Bikes agrees that Caldwell Road should have a good quality connecting path to the Cole Valley Route, so we do support spending Birmingham Cycle revolution money on that. However we think that temporary measures to improve the route under the bridge alongside the River Cole would be much better than signposting a long diversionary route along wholly inappropriate roads.

Push Bikes does believe that the road network in Birmingham must be made more friendly to cycling and walking, and that includes the road network in this location. There are two significant improvements that need to be made:

• The first is where Eastfield Road goes under the railway. At this location the road a is very narrow single lane and there are traffic lights to control the flow of vehicles. Cycle users here will experience bullying by impatient car drivers trying to get through this pinch point before the lights turn red. It would be much better to close this bridge to all motor traffic, as there is a parallel road crossing at Belchers Lane which is much more suitable for motor vehicles. Closing this bridge to motor vehicles would help to improve air quality in this area, reduce noise pollution from motor vehicles and encourage more active travel.
• The second is Cotterills Lane, which is a very busy through route for motor traffic. This road is not suitable to be designated a cycle route at the moment. Either the volume of motor traffic needs to be reduced, or there need to be cycle lanes installed to give cycles their own space. The volume of motor traffic here is far too high for mixing cycles and motor vehicles even if it had a 20 mph limit. Cotterills Lane should be a useful road for cycle users, but it requires much more intervention to make it acceptable.

Without these two improvements, there must be no cycle routes marked on these roads as they are currently too hostile to cycling.

Please use the website 'WriteToThem' to contact your local MP and ask them to put pressure on Network Rail to co-operate with work to implement the Cole Valley route. It is important that MPs understand that they have a role to play in the success of the cycle revolution as well.